I need to talk about the importance of supporting your local businesses.
Just this morning, I learned of two businesses in other nearby towns that are closing down.
One has been open for 18 years, the other just got the Entrepreneurship of the Year award in their community. They are closing because they – in part– can’t make ends meet.
Supporting local means so much to our small businesses. Supporting local means putting money in the pockets of the people that help run our sporting events, that help run our town activities; they are your volunteers, and they’re your neighbours.
There are so many great businesses in our Town Of Castor: Home Hardware has more than just stuff to fix your home. They have an amazing kitchenware section and some gifts and decorations, all kinds of stuff. And they have a coffee shop inside where you can get a fancy coffee.
There’s Chick to Hick next door to me on Main Street. Yes, they are a flower shop. You’re going to find flowers and plants, but you’re also going to find amazing jewellery and food and purses and decor.
There are our two restaurants: the White Goose and the Green Island. Both have amazing food.
We have Country Lane Health and Beauty where you can get your nails done, get a spray tan, and much more. She has products for skin care and hair care and all kinds of stuff in there. She also does helium balloons.
Then, there’s the local gym, Quality Fitness. There is Cornucopia, which has gourmet popcorn and food treats. There is Value Drug Mart, which has more than just cold meds and prescriptions: they have a humongous gift section, a toy section for kids, and a massive selection of cards.
There’s also Echo Outdoors, our outdoor and hunting destination. They have amazing stuff in there, even boots and coats. Even if you’re not a hunter, you still need boots and a coat. We have Let’s Scissor Co for hair cuts & styles and Lady A Beauty for lashes and facials.
We also have many talented home businesses to support. Baking, cooking, nails, cross stitching, and more are all located within the town's borders.
There are also service-based businesses like East Central Appraisal which can do home, acreage and all kinds of other appraisals.
There’s FC Hunt , which is our registry office, and they do passport photos and insurance. There are our local electricians, local plumbers, and local banks.
Every single one of these people and businesses in this community contribute to our community and our fundraisers, for the food bank, for the FCSS, for the golf course, the curling rink and the arena.
It’s us, not Amazon, not the big city stores, that contribute locally.
So please, support local.
-Lynn Sabo is the owner of The Purple Platypus Secondhand Bookstore in Castor
